Little duck, MY duck
by QueenPapal
Summary: Written on a limited knowledge of the show. Rue's dance with Ahiru sparks a new obsession. Rue finds herself longing for the girl, even more than she longed for Mytho, so what else is there to do but claim the girl as hers? RuexAhiru. Rated for future chapters(lemons). AU.
1. Chapter 1

Rue watched Mytho and Arikumi's dance with dangerously narrowed eyes. Usually Mytho was HER partner, but now he was dancing with the blasted anteater girl. Rue already had an idea of what was coming. The anteater girl had stolen her dance partner and now she wanted her spot in the advanced class as well? That was not going to happen.

While the two of them danced on, Rue looked around the room, glancing at all the other students from the corner of her eye. If what she thought was going to happen actually happened, she would need another dance partner. Her eyes traveled over the people, analyzing each one and searching for a suitable dance partner. Most of the people seemed like they would be competent enough, so it would only be natural for her to pick one of them, but then something caught her eye.

A mop of shining orange-pink hair sitting wedged in between vibrant pink and pale blonde. The girl had wide innocent eyes that were blue enough to put the sky to shame and by the way she seemed to watch the dance with such childish wonder and amazement, Rue guessed her to be a poor dancer. Rue immediately crossed her off the list. She needed a dance partner that knew what they were doing, someone that wouldn't muck this performance up for her. She needed to keep her place in the class, needed to prove herself to Mytho.

"I would just love to see your dance, Rue-chan...if you can find a partner, that is," the anteater girl laughed as she draped an arm over Mytho's shoulders and pulled him closer to her. Rue felt herself bristle, but managed to contain the rage and keep her face emotionless. She smirked slightly as she stood up with an almost unnatural gracefulness. She turned her head, unsure of who to pick.

"Would you dance with me?" she asked kindly, eyes locked on those impossibly blue orbs. Rue wanted to smack herself for picking that girl, who obviously had little to absolutely no talent in dancing whatsoever, but it was too late to take it back now. The girl looked around nervously before she pointed at herself and let out a small, nervous "Me?" in response. Rue briefly considered lying and pointing to someone else behind her, someone who could actually dance, but stopped herself from doing so as she calmly nodded at the girl. The girl started to panic, making Rue already regret her decision, and her friends only added fuel to the fire by mocking and teasing her.

Rue managed a small smile at the odd girl as she walked forward. The blue-eyed girl followed a little while after. "U-um, R-Rue-chan. I think you really made a mistake. I'm a very, very bad dancer!" the girl said nervously. Rue simply raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you'll do fine. Just do as I say." Rue told her calmly as they finished their stretches.

The girl stood awkwardly and nervously as she face the class. Rue mentally groaned but forced herself to be calm. Rue bowed, watching from the corner of her eye as the girl did the same in a much more awkward fashion. She walked up silently behind the girl. "Don't be nervous." she smiled at the girl as she took her position next to the girl. They both moved through the dance, Rue's movements graceful and precise, the other girl's clumsy. "Jump." she told the girl just above a whisper before firmly placing her hands on the other's slender hips and lifting her up into the air as the girl jumped. Rue noted with surprise that her position and form for the jump was nearly flawless and the girl was light as a feather.

They continued the rest of the dance with Rue helping the girl with the positions. The girl wasn't terrible, but she wasn't very good either. Rue decided that with a bit of help the girl could become a rather amazing ballerina. Rue grabbed the girl's hand near the end of the dance, ready to twirl the younger girl, when she noted how amazingly soft the girl's skin was. Rue spun her around a few times before stopping her and grabbing the girl's ankle to lift it for the finishing position.

The other children clapped wildly. Rue didn't want to let go of the addictively soft skin in the palm of her hand just yet. "That was lovely." she told the girl, who seemed ecstatic. "R-Really?" she asked. Rue smiled at her before gently releasing her ankle, but keeping a firm hold on the girl's hand. "Yes." The girl beamed at the praise she was receiving, not at all seeming to mind the fact that her hand was still wrapped in Rue's slightly bigger one.


	2. Chapter 2

Rue smiled to herself as the small drops of warm water hit her back. Of course, she had beaten the anteater that had been trying to steal her partner and her spot in the advanced classes.

Neko-sensei had been very impressed. It seemed that her deduction of the girl's abilities had been correct. He had congratulated the girl for dancing properly for the very first time and had then congratulated Rue on helping the other dance. Of course he had seen through the movements, had seen it was actually Rue's doing, but he refused to say anything about it. To say Rue was grateful was a huge understatement.

Showering after the dance session was relaxing. Rue felt fulfilled and proud. She had mopped the floor with Arikumi. This shower, she thought, was a well deserved reward.

Rue twisted the knobs of the tap, effectively stopping the flow of water, and stepped out of the shower. The bathroom had white tiles on the floor and walls. The shower itself had a greenish curtain and outside it was a wooden bench to put the clothes on so they didn't get wet while showering. There were two rows of showers against the two opposing walls, separated by thin walls and closed off from the view of others at the front of the cubicle with a plain white curtain.

Rue's feet hit the cold tiles as she got out and dried off with a crimson towel. She froze when she heard the door of the bathroom open. The person entered, humming a cute tune, and Rue thought she recognized the voice. She peered past the white curtain and saw a unique mop of orange-pink hair stop at the shower right in front of her. The shower was almost never used due to its lack of curtains.

'Why is she showering now?' Rue wondered, staring at the girl as she placed her bag and towel on the bench. The girl had obviously not looked around and had thought it was safe to shower there, because if she had she would have noticed the closed curtain of the other shower. She probably thought she was all alone. The last group of girls had left about a half an hour ago. Rue had decided to shower last so she wouldn't have to be in a hurry. 'Maybe she wanted to do the same?'

Rue bit down on her lip lightly as the girl started slipping the ballet leotard off her shoulders and body. Why was she acting like this? She had seen other girls naked plenty of times before when they went to shower or get dressed, so why was this so different? Maybe it was because the girl liked her privacy, away from prying eyes. Rue doubted any of the other girls had seen the girl so bare and vulnerable. That thought satisfied her, made it seem as though this was a privilege that only SHE had.

The girl had small, slight shoulders and slender arms. Her waist was tiny and she had long, thin legs. Rue felt her cheeks heat up as more of that addictive skin was showed for her viewing. Rue couldn't deny that the girl was beautiful and maybe, just maybe, even more so than herself. The girl undid the braid in her hair, allowing the pretty pink locks to fall freely around her fragile frame. Some of the tips brushed the back of the girl's thighs, just below her butt, drawing Rue's attention. The two globes were perfectly round. Rue idly wondered if the rest of the girl's skin was as soft as her hands.

The girl turned to get her clothes out of her bag, allowing Rue a sideways view of her body. Her breasts were small and still needed to develop, but her small breasts seemed to fit her body perfectly. Indeed this girl was a magnificent creation.

Rue wrapped her red towel tightly around her own body, still making sure to leave a decent amount of her cleavage open to see. What was the girl's name again? She had heard Neko-sensei say it. Ari...Ar...A...A...

"Ahiru," The girl in question whirled around at the sound of her name, coming face to face with Rue. Rue smiled gently at her, just like she did when she congratulated Ahiru at the end of their dance. A blush covered her face as her eyes almost immediately fell to Rue's bust. She raised her hands to cover the nothing she had in that area, only to remember she was stark naked. Her blush darkened.

"U-Uh...R-Rue-chan, I..." she stuttered, still trying to cover herself. She would've hid behind the shower curtain...if this shower had one. Rue giggled. "Don't worry, Ahiru. We're both girls..." she smiled. Ahiru squirmed under the older girl's gaze as she fidgeted with her fingers and muttered something under her breath.

"Excuse me?" Rue asked politely, cocking her head to the right slightly. Ahiru just glanced up at her before letting her eyes fall back to the floor.

"I said..."But you're so pretty and I'm-"

"Beautiful," Rue finished with finality in her voice. Ahiru looked up at her in shock as the blush darkened to a dangerous shade of red. "Oh...t-thank you Rue-chan..." she smiled nervously and scratched her head. Rue simply nodded. "I wanted to thank you for dancing with me," she said. Ahiru just grinned at her. "It was nothing. You did all the hard work, Rue-chan. I should be thanking you..."

Rue shook her head and smiled. "Nonsense," she said, taking a few steps until she was right in front of Ahiru. She bent down and loosely wrapped her arms around the small girl, resting her hands on Ahiru's lower back, making sure to place it underneath the waterfall of pink locks so she could feel that oh so addictive skin. She gently laid her head on Ahiru's shoulder as the girl stuttered and awkwardly wrapped her arms around Rue's waist. Ahiru's touch was soft and unsure, similar to her touches while dancing. Her hands would only barely touch the red towel as she returned the unexpected gesture uncertainly. Rue was amazed at how soft Ahiru's skin was beneath her hands. She didn't think it was possible, but evidently it was.

Ahiru didn't say anything, having given up when only stutters and small words came out. She didn't dislike Rue's hug, in fact it was actually nice, Rue gave great hugs. But she felt a little nervous since she was still completely undressed and could feel Rue's strangely cold fingers on her back. She felt Rue tighten her grip just a bit and did the same with her own. She was happy that Rue wasn't mad at her for her terrible dancing.

Ahiru jumped a bit as Rue's hands slightly shifted a bit upwards, giving a small squeeze, before the girl let go of her completely. Rue smiled at her, having decided to let go before she got carried away with the soft skin. "I owe you a favor, Ahiru, and I promise I'll find some way to repay it," she said, turning back around to gather her things and get dressed. "Um, Rue-chan! C...could you help me dance?" she asked nervously as Rue turned to her. Rue rested a finger on her chin, pretending to think about it. "I suppose I could. But many dance lessons for one dance doesn't seem very fair." she said. Ahiru looked at the ground. "That's true..." she said, feeling a bit upset. Rue smiled. "Maybe we can think of an arrangement of some sort, but for now just meet me at Neko-sensei's classroom each afternoon for your lessons."

Ahiru looked up in surprise before a bright smile fixed itself on her face and she nodded vigorously. "Yes, Rue-chan! I won't be late, I promise," she said, sounding determined. Rue smiled.

This would be interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

Rue tied the ribbons of her ballet shoes securely around her ankles before standing on the tips of her toes. 'Alright, now all that's left to do is wait...' she thought quietly as she stared at the clock on the wall. "She better not be late," Rue muttered to herself as she watched the seconds tick by.

BAM!

The door was thrown open, hitting the wall to which it was attached from the force with which it had been flung open. In the doorway was a panting Ahiru, hands resting on her knees. She looked up at Rue. "Oh no! I'm laaaaate!" she yelled while frantically flailing her arms. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she yelled as she kept running in circles. Rue raised an eyebrow at the girl. She was...odd. "Ahiru..." she called gently. Ahiru stopped running, rooted in her spot with her head down. "I'm sorry, Rue-chan," she muttered, sounding genuinely apologetic. Rue shook her head with a disbelieving smile. Rue walked over to the blue-eyed girl with long strides. "Ahiru," she said gently once more as she laid a hand on the other's small shoulder, only slightly disappointed when she felt material instead of soft skin. Ahiru's head snapped up towards Rue's. "You're not late." Rue told her calmly before pointing at the clock. "I'm just early..." Rue trailed off, not sure how to explain. Ahiru's eyes widened slowly before a small, relieved smile crossed her face. Rue returned the smile with one of her own. "Are you ready, Ahiru?" she asked, watching as Ahiru's face twisted in determination. "Yes, Rue-chan!" she said. Rue nodded. "Get dressed, then. You can't exactly dance in those, now can you?" Rue asked as she gestured at Ahiru's school uniform. Ahiru nodded vigorously and made to leave the room, dufflebag hanging off her left shoulder.

"A-Ahiru!" Rue called, cursing herself for stuttering. Ahiru turned back at Rue with a curious expression. Rue looked away from her, opting to gaze out the window. "...you...can change in here if you want. It would be quicker than having to walk all the way to the changing room and it would give us more time to practice," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. Ahiru cocked her head to the side. Rue's eyes flitted over to her. "Well...get changed..." she told the duck-girl, who nodded and started peeling off her clothes. Rue noticed a blush decorating her cheeks and inwardly chuckled at the girl's shyness about her body. Ahiru was dressed again far too soon in Rue's opinion. The expanses of soft, light coffee-colored skin were once again hidden beneath blue fabric. Rue nearly groaned at loss of the sight, but managed to restrain herself.

Ahiru looked eagerly at the black-haired girl, waiting for her first lesson to begin. Rue cast her a sweet smile and walked over to her. "First, let's do a few simple stretches," she said, stopping directly in front of Ahiru, towering lightly over the younger girl. Rue gestured to the railing attached to the wall. Ahiru nodded and moved over to the wall to grip the railing securely with her right hand, starting with some easy leg stretches as Rue admired the young girl's delicate body. Her movements were clumsy, but Rue could see some hidden potential in her. Rue kept her eyes on Ahiru's legs as she started doing some demi-plie's, watching them move over and over in the same rhythm and routine. Finally, Ahiru stopped, turned and smiled brightly at Rue as she waited for further instructions.

"We'll have to work in your balance and form first. Once we have those covered we'll move to the more advanced things. For now," she held her hand out at Ahiru."...let's dance."

Ahiru stared at the hand, hesitating only for a moment before placing her own in it. Rue lead her over to the centre of the room. "We'll be doing the Pas de Duex again. I'll be correcting your form wherever I think you need improvement. We'll also be working on the balance now, so this dance will be much slower than usual, okay?" Ahiru only nodded. "Good, now please get into the first position," Rue commanded. Ahiru immediately went into the first position. Rue circled her slowly, taking in every detail of her stance and body. Once she was behind the girl she placed her hands on her shoulders and pulled them back lightly. "Stand tall and straight," she advised, giving the other's shoulders a squeeze. Ahiru nodded stiffly, keeping her gaze straight ahead and working hard not to move a muscle. Rue sighed lightly. "Stand tall and straight, not stiff like a wooden plank. Remember, this is DANCE. That means your movements need to be fluent yet elegant," she said, lightly messaging Ahiru's shoulders with her thumbs in hopes of getting her to calm down and loosen up a bit. Ahiru breathed in deeply before releasing a sigh. "R-Right!" she said, trying to adjust her stance. Ahiru started breathing a little more deeply as Rue once again guided her into the right position.

Rue's hands were cold. Her long, slender fingers wrapped themselves around the sides of Ahiru's petite waist and pushed lightly forward so the girl's back was straight, if not very slightly arched. Ahiru tried her best not to lose concentration and focused on keeping her body in the correct position. Rue smiled, feeling satisfied.

"Alright, let's continue and start with the dance. First off, you'll be dancing this dance like a proper ballerina - en pointe," she informed Ahiru.

"WHAT?" the girl yelled and Rue could've sworn it sounded a bit like a quack. Ahiru's face drained of color before she felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Rue chuckled. "You'll be dancing on your toes, like a real ballerina," she repeated. "After all, you DO want to be a REAL ballerina...don't you?" Rue asked playfully. Ahiru bit the inside of her cheek and nodded slowly. Rue smiled.

"Let's begin then..."


	4. Chapter 4

Don't own Princess Tutu.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"Higher," Rue instructed, watching as Ahiru struggled to keep her leg in the air. Ahiru was panting slightly as she worked to try and bring her leg up higher. "Keep your legs straight, Ahiru," came the order and Ahiru tried to stop bending her knees. Rue smiled at the look of intense concentration on the younger girl's face.

Ahiru's freckled cheeks were slightly puffed out in concentration, her forehead glistening with a thin layer of sweat. Her thin eyebrows were pulled together in a determined frown and her lips were pursed in concentration.

"Now, lift your arms," Rue instructed. Ahiru did exactly that and lifted her arms into the air, attempting to round them into an oval shape. Rue's hands were placed firmly in her waist, holding the clumsy girl upright, and she nearly shivered at how RIGHT Ahiru's waist fit into her palms...how right her waist FELT in Rue's grip.

Rue could feel the smaller girl shaking. Her legs -or leg, since she was only standing on one of them at that moment- were shaking wildly and Rue immediately feared they would give out beneath the other girl. It was true, a ballerina had to push her limits to be successful, but Rue just couldn't imagine poor, innocent Ahiru on the ground and in pain like that. It hurt.

"I think that's enough for today, Ahiru. You did very well," she complimented as the other placed her other foot back on the ground. Ahiru wobbled a bit, but Rue managed to keep her upright, never releasing the other from the secure hold on her waist.

"Are you alright, Ahiru?"

"I'm fine, Rue-chan!" came the reply. In spite of how tired the pink-haired girl was, she still refused to let her friend down. It almost broke Rue's heart when Ahiru pushed herself so hard just to prove herself to the dark-haired girl and other people. Ahiru never backed down - not even when she was on the verge of passing out - and although that greatly worried Rue, she couldn't help but be awed by the girl's drive to keep going.

"Hey, Ahiru?"

She didn't know why she was going to do this, but she was. She had spent the last three weeks in the company of the smaller girl, helping her perfect her dancing, but she hadn't had the chance to just...relax in the other's presence. And for some odd reason, that was something she really wanted to do.

"Yes?"

"How about we go somewhere?" she questioned. Ahiru's eyes light up and her lips were pulled upwards in a sweet smile that nearly made Rue sigh. Not in frustration or irritation, but rather in contentment or something similar. The young girl's smiles seemed to do that to everyone - made them feel happy, content and even at peace - and Rue was no exception.

"Yes!" Ahiru cheered happily, face practically glowing with glee. Then she abruptly stopped and straightened herself out. "I-I mean...that would be great, Rue-chan," she said respectfully.

Rue fought hard to keep from laughing, but in the end she failed. "Ahiru, there's no need to be so formal with me! We're...friends now, so just be yourself - be Ahiru. Because I kind of like her," she smiled softly at the other girl.

Ahiru blushed in slight embarrassment and scratched the back of her head nervously. "R-Right...Sorry, Rue-chan," she apologized sincerely before casting the girl an excited smile. "S-so where are we going?"

Rue laughed lightly at the duck-girl, appreciating the girls sweet nature. "I'll show you, but first, let's go shower and change," Rue looked down at her red dress, which still looked rather nice, but she was sure they both reeked. Her eyes lifted back to Ahiru's, ruby meeting sapphire, and she was once again astounded by just how BLUE Ahiru's eyes were. "Umm, then I'll take you out somewhere. You deserve a reward for your good work these past weeks," she added, knowing that it was nothing more than an excuse. She wanted to spend time with the other girl because they we're FRIENDS and because she wanted to know more about sweet, curious little Ahiru.

Ahiru smiled and quickly grabbed her bag, Rue doing the exact same, before heading for the showers with the raven-haired beauty in tow.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

The sun was still out, and though it was nearing nighttime, it was still boiling hot outside. Rue had the perfect idea of where to take Ahiru for her reward.

They walked past various people, some of who recognized and greeted them, others that simply walked on as though they didn't exist at all, as they neared the small sweets shop. Rue walked inside, discreetly holding the door open for Ahiru, who followed her inside the nice cool store.

The shop was SO. VERY. PINK. Not the sweet peach-pink colour of Ahiru's hair, just very PINK. It wasn't the same shade of salmon as Ahiru's soft braided locks, but more of a cotton candy pink that Rue didn't exactly like or dislike, but that somewhat overwhelmed her a bit. The walls were lined with shelves stocked with every type of candy imaginable. Rue walked up to the counter, trying to ignore Ahiru's childish 'ooooh'ing and 'aaaah'ing at all the types of candy.

"One packet of hard candy and one packet of these soft gummy drops, please," she asked politely as she pulled out some money out of a pocket on the inside of the jacket of her uniform and handed it to the old woman behind the counter. The woman smiled kindly at her before moving quickly to get the candy. Rue glanced back at Ahiru, who was staring wide-eyed at all the types of candy, before calling her over.

Ahiru came to stand beside her. "See anything you like?" Rue asked.

Ahiru smiled, replying a speedy "Everything looks good, Rue-chan!" Before diving onto her explanations of why everything seemed so good to her. The old woman returned with the candy, handing them to Rue.

"Will that be all, dears?" she asked with a smile and Rue took the chance to look around for anything else. They could always come back to get some more candy...

"Do you have any ice cream?" Rue asked as she was reminded of the intense heat outside. This hot weather would be PERFECT for ice cream in the park.

The old woman smiled. "Of course! Which flavors do you want?" she questioned them, taking out an ice cream scoop from behind the counter.

"Black Cherry?" Rue asked, not sure if they would have her favourite. The woman nodded at her before looking over at Ahiru, who seemed completely lost.

"Ahiru," Rue asked after a few seconds of silence, "which flavor do you want?"

"Uh, well...see, the thing is I...may-sorta-kinda-never-had-ice-cream-before!" she replied quickly as she looked down at her shoes, cheeks burning in embarrassment.

Rue thought for a while about which flavor to get Ahiru. Vanilla seemed too plain for the other girl. Maybe...

"Could you get her some vanilla?" Rue asked. Vanilla was basic and plain, but if Ahiru never had ice cream before, this was probably the safer option.

Once both girls had their cold treats and Rue paid for them, they set off toward the park. Rue led Ahiru to a bench and sat down.

The sun was starting to set, leaving the sky streaked in oranges and yellows. Rue stared as the remaining bit of sunlight turned Ahiru's hair into pure gold and her skin into a warm coffee color. The girl's blue eyes reflected the sunlight in an almost enchanting way, creating the illusion that there was FIRE swimming around in those endless orbs.

Ahiru bit into the ice cream, some of it messily smearing onto her cheek and nose, and gave a small cry of surprise. Rue looked at her curiously as the other girl grimaced and swallowed down the ice cream.

"Do you not like it?" she asked, trying to find the reason for Ahiru's strange reaction.

Ahiru gave an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Rue-chan. It's just...too cold. It makes my teeth hurt."

Rue smiled at her in amusement. The girl had REALLY never eaten ice cream before.

"That's because you bit into it. You're not supposed to do that silly," she smirked at the younger girl.

Confusion wrote itself upon Ahiru's face, her nose scrunching up in adorable way, as she tried to comprehend what Rue meant with that. "You're...not?"

"No, you lick it," Rue said, shrugging and taking a small lick of her own ice cream. Ahiru's expression didn't suddenly change to one of understanding or realization as Rue had hoped, so she tried something else.

She leaned over, closing in slightly on Ahiru. "Like this," she said softly before leaning in all the way and gently licking the ice cream off of Ahiru's cheek.

When she leaned back she was happy to find the other girl blushing madly. Rue smiled, deciding that the red tint to the freckled face was a sight she rather enjoyed.

"R-R-Rue-chan! Wh-what was th-that for?!" Ahiru asked, trying to keep the blush on her face from darkening. Rue simply chuckled before using a finger to scoop the remaining ice cream on her nose away and showing it to the flustered girl. "You're a messy eater, I just helped clean your face," she smirked once more, "Ahiru-chan."

Ahiru swallowed, nodded and tried licking her ice cream cone too, in an attempt to ignore her rapidly beating heart. What Rue had done had taken her a bit by surprise...but it wasn't necessarily unpleasant. Actually, nothing with Rue was unpleasant...

When the sun had finally disappeared, along with their ice creams, Rue suggested they head over to a special spot in the park - her favorite spot.

To say Ahiru was stunned was an understatement. It wasn't anything incredibly amazing - a clearing with a lake in the middle that was surrounded by trees - and normally it would be plain, but the full moon danced across the ripples as a small, cool breeze blew across the lake, creating a magical atmosphere. The ankle-high grass also swayed in the gentle wind and leaves rustled.

Ahiru openly gaped at the amazing place and Rue allowed a serene smile to float to her face. Even in moonlight Ahiru looked dazzling. The moon created dark shadows all along the small girl's figure, accentuating her tiny curves and making her seem more...mature. Her eyes seemed brighter, her hair darker, skin smoother. The freckles were nearly non-existent.

Rue held in a gasp as she continued to stare at Ahiru. She couldn't understand how someone could be so unnaturally beautiful all the time - and that was exactly what Ahiru was in her eyes. A type of beauty that can't even really be defined.

Ahiru spun around and ran over to engulf the other in a hug. It was a bold move for her, but the fact that Rue would bring her to such a great place - a place that was very special to the raven-haired girl - warmed her heart and made her happy, ecstatic! Rue returned the hug without even a moment's hesitation, indulging in the other's unique scent.

Ahiru's hair smelled of grass, fresh water and a small hint of flowers - which ones Rue didn't exactly know, but she thought she smelled something like a peach blossom.

"Rue-chan...thank you for the great day. I'm really glad you're helping me, Rue-chan, and I'm really glad I got to spend the whole day with you. I had lots of fun. Thank you so, so much, Rue-chan..." Ahiru smiled, never releasing the hug.

Rue felt an odd little tug at her heart at the girl's words, something akin to pride maybe, and tightened her hold just a little.

"I'm glad we spent the day together..." Ahiru yawned into her shoulder.

Rue smiled sweetly as she stared back up at the moon. "I am too, Ahiru-chan, I am too..."


End file.
